As soon as Aunt Em called out to her, Applejack noticed quickly that the winds had suddenly grew stronger, and turned to what the woman was looking at. Her heart dropped as she saw a gray cyclone that towered up into the sky was quickly coming their way. Scooping Toto into her own hoof, she raced inside the one-room house were the Aunt had flung open the trap door that lead to the narrow cellar.
However, the dog suddenly jumped out of her grasp and dashed underneath the bed as the noise of the wind grew. “Toto!” the apple farmer galloped over across the room. Aunt Em jumped into the hole in the middle of the room, calling out for “Dorothy” to follow.
But Applejack didn’t hear this as she snatched the little black dog again before heading towards the trapdoor. However, as she was only half-way across, the entire house shook violently as the winds shrieked to the point that the orange pony found it impossible to stand up and landed on the floor.
Then, something extraordinary happened, from the windows, the house moved two or three times around before the whole wooden structure lifted off from the ground. Applejack felt like she was going up in a balloon.
“What in tarnation!” she yelled as the winds from the north and south swirled around them, lifting the house higher and higher, mile after mile into the air. Letting Toto loose, she crawled over to the center where the trapdoor was still open, blowing out wind into the house. Yet, it showed that she was, indeed, in the very center of the cyclone.
“NOPE!” going over to the other side, she used her whole body against the planks to close it with the latch in order to prevent anyone, or anything, from falling out. “How in the hay did Ah get in here?”
All around in this one room cabin, plates and cups rattled, pieces of coal rolled all over the floor, the chairs have long been knocked over with the table threatening to do the same. Applejack picked up Toto and hopped the larger of the two beds to latterly ride out the storm. There was so much noise inside and outside the house that the mare could barely hear herself think.
She couldn’t tell how long they stayed up there inside the cyclone, worrying what would happen if everything came apart or if they would survive the eventual fall.
However, the Earth Pony did as she, along with everything else felt the forces of gravity as they fell right out of the sky, Applejack screaming her lungs out, holding tightly to the little dog. Offering a quick prayer that if she gets out of this alive, she will offer up to whatever universal forces the best cider from the family cellar for a year.
The house came down with a loud, crackling THUD! The mare was thankful for the bed to help soften the landing, as well as being grateful that the only damage from the impact as far as she could see was the roof nearly collapsed in. Toto got off of the bed and pawed the door.
“Great idea,” Applejack said, still shaken, “Let’s get outta here.”
She opened the door, but paused as she took in the color of the landscape. As far as she knew, this didn’t look like any part of Equestria that she knew. Everywhere there where patches of lively green, with wild trees that bear rich and luscious but strange fruits. There were banks of unusual but very colorful flowers of various shapes and sizes. And a ways off there was a small brook, which rushed with sparkling water in the morning light. Above Applejack saw exotic birds of rich plumages that sang and fluttered among the trees and bushes.
Stepping out, Applejack flung the silky black dog onto her back, “Hey Toto,” she said, “Ah don’t think Ah ain’t in Equestria no more.”
Her widen eyes fell upon four figures that were coming up to her. In a way, they reminded her of Aunt Em, only they were a little shorter than her. Three of them were men who they all wore round hats that rose to a small point a foot above their heads, with little bells that lined around the brim. These men were dressed head to toe in blue with polished boots with a deep roll of blue at the tops. The fourth was a woman who was as tall as the others, only she wore white gown. All four of them, from Applejack’s point of view, seemed very old with their wrinkles and the woman’s white hair.
As they neared her, she could hear them whispering from one another until the woman in white went up to her, made a low bow to her and said to her in a sweet voice: “You are welcome, most noble Sorceress, to the land of the Munchkins. We are so grateful to you for having killed the Wicked Witch of the East, and for setting our people free from bondage.”
Applejack had to do a double take at what she heard, “Beg yer pardon ma’am, but what the hay are y’all talkin’ about? Ah haven’t killed nopony.”
“Your house did, anyway,” she replied with a laugh; “and that is the same thing. See!” she pointed at what remained of the wooden shack, “There are her two toes, still sticking out from under a block of wood.”
The apple farmer gasped in shock, at one corner she saw two feet sticking out, with silver shoes that pointed upwards. Applejack looked between the legs and the old woman. “N-Now wait-a-minute! Ah didn’t do this on purpose! This was an accident Ah tell ya!” The earth pony trotted up to the legs sticking out, “Oh what do Ah do now?”
“There’s nothing to be done,” said the little woman calmly.
“Who was she?”
“She was the Wicked Witch of the East, as I said. She has held all the Munchkins in bondage for many years, making them slave for her night and day. Now they are all set free, and are grateful to you for the favor.”
Applejack turned to her, raising an eyebrow, “What’s a Munchkin?”
“They are the people who live in this land of the East, where the Wicked Witch ruled.”
“Are you one of ‘em?”
“No; but I am their friend, although I live in the land of the North. When they saw the Witch of the East was dead the Munchkins set a swift messenger to me, and I came at once. I am the Witch of the North.”
“Hold up,” Applejack backed away from her, “Witch? You’re a witch?” she eyed the old woman suspiciously.
“Yes, indeed,” she answered. “But I am a good witch, and the people love me. I am not as powerful as the Wicked Witch was who ruled here, or I should have set the people free myself.”
Toto barked as he leaped from the mare’s back, sniffing the lady in white, “Sorry, but aren’t all witches… you know, bad?”
“Oh no; that is a great mistake. There were only four witches in all the Land of Oz, and two of them, those who live in the North and the South, are good witches. I know this is true, for I am one of them myself, and cannot be mistaken. Those who dwelt in the East and the West were, indeed, wicked witches; but now that you have killed one of them, there is but one Wicked Witch in all the Land of Oz – the one who lives in the West.”
“Huh,” Applejack thought for a moment, “Really now? Ah hope what yer sayin’ is true ma’am. Guess this is one of those times Ah hope that Granny is wrong.”
“Who is Granny?” the old woman inquired.
“Granny Smith is mah grandmother that lives in Kann- Equestria,” Applejack quickly corrected herself. ‘Why did Ah think that? Granny isn’t from Kansas. Where did that come from?’
The Witch of the North seemed to think for a time, with her head bowed and her eyes upon the ground. Then she looked up and said, “I do not know where Equestria is, for I have never heard that country mentioned before. But tell me, is it a civilized country?”
Again, Applejack raised an eyebrow, “Yeah, why?
“Then that accounts for it. In the civilized countries I believe there are no witches left; nor wizards, nor sorceresses, nor magicians. But you see, the Land of Oz has never been civilized, for we are cut off from all the rest of the world. Therefore we still have witches and wizards among us.”
“But that doesn’t make any sense. Equestria has its share of Wizards and Sorceresses too, yet there’s civilized. Tell me; are there any other wizards around?”
“Oz himself is the Great Wizard,” answered the Witch, sinking her voice to a whisper. “He is more powerful than all the rest of us together. He lives in the City of Emeralds.”
Before Applejack could ask her another question, one of the other Munchkins that have been standing nearby shouted, and pointed to where the Wicked Witch of the East was.
“What is it?” asked the old woman, who looked and gave a laugh. The apple farmer looked too and was surprised to find that the legs of the dead witch had disappeared, leaving only the silver shoes behind.
“She was so old, that she dried up quickly in the sun.” The Witch of the North explained, “That is the end of her. But the silver shoes are yours, and you shall have them to wear.” She reached down and picked up the shoes, and after shaking the dust off of them, handed them over to Applejack.
“Now hold on,” Applejack protested, “Ah can’t take these! They ain’t even mine.”
“The Witch of the East was proud of those silver shoes,” one of the Munchkins told her; “and there is some charm connected with them; but what it is we never knew.”
Applejack decided to take the shoes into the house, and came back out asking if there was some way to return home. The four of them looked at each other for a moment before shaking their heads. They explained that to the East and South of Oz is a great desert that nothing could live to cross it. One of the Munchkins told her to never go to the West because that was where the other witch rules with the Winkies, to pass into that land was instant slavery.
“The North is my home,” said the old lady, “and at its edge is the same great desert that surrounds this Land of Oz. I’m afraid, my dear, you will have to live with us.”
The orange blond mare sat down on her hunches, Toto came up to her, nuzzling at her hooves. As she petted him, she took a moment to think, “Did you say that this Oz fella is more powerful than the rest of ya?” The old woman nodded, “Would it be possible if I could speak with him for me to go home?”
“Then you must go to the City of Emeralds. Perhaps Oz could indeed help you.”
“Great, so where’s the city?”
“It is exactly in the center of the country, and is ruled by Oz, the Great Wizard I told you of.”
Then a thought came to Applejack, “So is he a good Wizard, somethin' like you?”
“He is a good Wizard.”
“Okay, so how can I get there?”
“You must walk. It is a long journey, through a country that is sometimes pleasant and sometimes dark and terrible. However, I will use all the magic arts I know of to keep you from harm.”
“But aren’t you at least gonna come with me? You’d seem to know better about this place then Ah do.”
“No, I cannot do that,” she replied; “but I will give you my kiss, and no one will dare injure a person who has been kissed by the Witch of the North.” She came close to Applejack, kissing her on the forehead. “The road to the City of Emeralds is paved with yellow brick,” she added, “so you cannot miss it. When you get to Oz do not be afraid of him, but tell your story and ask him to help you. Good-bye, my dear.”
The other tree Munchkins bowed low to her, wishing her a happy journey before they walked way through the bushes and trees. As for the Witch of the North, she gave her a friendly nod; whirled around on her left heel three times before she disappeared, leaving a confused Applejack, and a barking Toto behind.
“Well, this day is jus’ gettin’ weirder and weirder,” the mare said to herself. Looking at the nearly collapsed house, she looked down at the dog, “Come on Toto, let’s salvage what we can get before we head home.”
Applejack searched through the dusty farm home for whatever food and supplies to take with her. Before she left, however, she spotted the sliver shoes on the bed, which she noticed had somehow enlarged for her hooves to fit in.
Curious, she placed them on her hindlegs, finding to her surprise that they were a perfect fit. “Alright,” putting the basket around her neck, she trotted out the door, “Let’s go Toto, the sooner we find this yellow road, the sooner both of us can get home.”